Review: Herbfarmacy Pure Hydration Serum

I’m always on the look out for a good hydrating serum. I try to wear a decent SPF everyday (review of the one I use here), and I’ve found that my skin can’t handle this in addition to a regular moisturiser. Therefore, underneath, I prefer to use a good quality hydrating serum that ensures my skin will stay plump without overloading my pores. Recently I’ve been using the Herbfarmacy Pure Hydration Serum*, and frankly, I couldn’t be happier.

This serum has got to be one of my favourite samples that I recieved as part of the brilliant Reading meet-up that was arranged by the wonder-trio: Rach, Sarah and Jen. We left with some serious booty and this serum has really been impressing me, especially as I haven’t tried much from Herbfarmacy as a brand. I’ve found that a lot of their products aren’t suitable for vegans but I’m super happy that this serum seems to be an exception to the rule.

Well on to the product, the Pure Hydration Serum claims to be an ‘easily-absorbed serum with powerful hydrating and moisture holding capacity’. I would definitely agree with this and I’ve found that the effects are similar to that of Hydraluron, a popular mainstream hydrator that uses hyaluronic acid, a humectant that can often be derived from animals. Herbfarmacy’s option does include sodium hyaluronate (the sodium salt involved in hyaluronic acid), however, you can feel reassured in the fact that Herbfarmacy do in fact use vegetarian sources of this ingredient, which can not always be promised with more non-natural companies. For those out of the loop, hyaluronic acid is great at attracting and holding in moisture. In other words, in increases the effectiveness of products used in succession to itself, locking in moisture.  

As mentioned beforehand, I’ve been using this serum under my SPF and I have been seriously loving it. It’s definitely a winner when it comes to layering with other products, avoiding the dreaded pilling effect that you can occasionally encounter with such practices. Obviously - as mentioned above - the sodium hyaluronate really helps with SPF layering as it increases the moisturising properties of anything used after it. The texture is really interesting but I do find that it absorbs easily and my skin feels instantly smoother and plumper. The hydration does seem to last throughout the day for me, however I do have slightly oilier skin and so dry skin friends will definitely need to layer it with a heavier moisturiser. 

The serum has a really pleasant smell which I suspect, is down to the marshmallow root extract. Marshmallow root is also really great at deeply moisturising and this in addition to aloe vera, shea butter and rose water makes the product really effective. It does seem to be preserved with alcohol (as well as potassium sorbate), but I don’t find this to be a problem due to the sheer abundance of wonderful hydrating ingredients.

All in all, this will be a possible re-purchase for me as I just find it fits in really well with my current routine. It’s not the cheapest ever at £24.50 but it’s super effective and comes in the cutest packaging, don’t you agree?

Currently Reading #1

I've been on a book-acquisition rampage again (When am I not?). So I thought it might be handy for me to start picking out some of the books that I'm reading and that I'm really excited about. The logic is that I'll be reminded of all my part-read books and be more inclined to finish them. We'll see how that one goes. Let me know if you'd be interesting in seeing these posts a little more often, as they may help to introduce you to some authors that you might not have heard of.

St Lucy's Home for Girls Raised By Wolves - Karen Russell

Starting off with a lovely short-story collection, we have the weird and wonderful world of Karen Russell. All of Karen Russell's narratives are just a little strange, making them truly entertaining to read. I started reading this collection after having to read the name-sake story for my creative writing class - a pleasant tale about a group of young wolf girls being 'trained' to be humans by a school of nuns. Interesting.

Kindred - Octavia E. Butler

Octavia E. Butler is truly the hidden gem. I read her short story Bloodchild a couple weeks ago and now I am determined to get through her entire bibliography. Her writing is most definitely science fiction, but it always has a twist and beautiful hidden meaning. This book follows Dana, a young black woman in the present day, who finds herself transported back to nineteenth-century Maryland. As the book proclaims: "It's the most terrifying experience of her life... until it happens again." I've just started reading this and I cannot wait to see what happens.

The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly - Sun-mi Hwang

This was very much an impulse purchase during a recent foray in to Waterstones. I was captivated by the beautiful publication of this book and the equally as stunning illustrations. Marketed as a modern Korean fable-- it's the story of a Hen named Sprout, who no longer wishes to lay eggs on command and pines for freedom from her barn. She hatches (ho ho) a plan to escape so she can finally lay an egg of her own. This book draws some serious parallels with the current situation in Korea and promises to be an intriguing read. I haven't actually started this one yet, but it's next on the reading list.

If you haven't noticed already, you can actually see what I'm currently reading in the little box to the right of this post. It also links to my Goodreads, if you wanted to find out more about the titles or even add me as a friend (hint hint).

Vegan Week Overview

Okay so Vegan Week turned out to be a bit of a fail didn't it? Unfortunately I had forgotten to schedule all my posts (bad blogger) and uni was being a bit of a nightmare. But, all in all, three out of seven isn't too bad. Right? Let's look at the posts that I actually did manage to put out this week.

Vegan Book Recs

We started off the week with a look at some vegan book recs, covering both non-fiction and cookbooks. Admittedly, I hadn't actually read a couple of them, but that blunder is being rectified pretty soon. 

My Vegan Skincare Routine

Next, a look at my current all-vegan skincare routine. My routine is always changing, but lately I've been settling in to a regular set up. Take a look at what products I'm currently using in my second post of Vegan Week - ft. lots of lovely favourite brands such as Pai and Andalou Naturals.

Review: Red Apple Vegan Lipstick

And then, we finished the week with a bang. Last in line was my review of a couple lipsticks from well... Red Apple Lipstick. Now this was a rave review if I ever saw one. Long story short, I need more. I NEED more. Red Apple Lipstick has definitely become my go-to brand for high quality vegan lipsticks.

So, that was last week. A couple posts that got left out include a Vegan Food Faves and a FAQ, which I will definitely be posting some time in the near future. Now, if Vegan Week has taught me anything, it's that I really need to use my planner more...

Review: Red Apple Vegan Lipstick

I'm so glad to finally be reviewing the wonderful Red Apple Lipstick for you all! I've been trialling these lipsticks for a good few months, and all I can say is, the hype is dang real.

Red Apple Lipstick is a relatively new company, offering gorgeous natural lipsticks that are first and foremost, gluten-free, but also vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free and mostly dye-free. As well as these, they also offer a wide range of other products such as lip pencils, lip glosses, mascara and pressed eyeshadows (which I am DESPERATE to try). They first approached the radar after a read over at Britanie's blog, but recently they have taken the green beauty community by storm, and for a good reason. I signed up for their blogger program, and was lucky enough to be sent the shades Audrey* and Hibiskiss*. Audrey is a beautiful slightly plum-toned pink nude, and Hibiskiss is a true berry pink shade. Consequently, they actually look rather lovely when layered over each other.

Admittedly, they do look quite similar in the bullet - something that worried me upon first opening - but from the swatches you'll notice that they are both beautiful and unique shades. They also vary slightly in formula: Audrey being a sheeny, slightly sheerer consistency; and Hibiskiss, a slightly matte, more opaque option. Both shades were perfect to be wearing throughout autumn and I'm continuing to get a whole lot of use out of them as winter wades on. Both shades are super moisturising and I've never had them dry out my lips. Further to this, the staying power is truly something that I have never experienced. Natural lipsticks can often be quite 'wet', leading to transfer and general wear & tear throughout the day. However, I've found that these lipsticks really do stay in place, even after a hefty breakfast ;-)

As mentioned, the ingredients are all gluten-free and vegan. However, ingredients do vary depending on the lipstick's collection, so you can have a look at their full ingredients list here.

Now I also have to bring your attention to the stunning packaging. I've really never seen a natural lipstick look so luxurious and high-end! The bullets are a beautiful matte black, with a textured grip and a really, really satisfying click-close. However this quality (and it really is quality), is most definitely shown in the price of these lipsticks. They are rather pricey, and even more so for us UK-dwellers who will be paying some hefty shipping/customs fees on top of this. A lipstick retails for $23.50, however, there is always some kind of discount or coupon available so they're definitely still worth looking in to. You can actually sign up to their free VIP programme, and be sent a new coupon code every month! In fact, I insist that you do look in to them if you haven't already because I am truly enamoured by their lipsticks and frankly, I need more.

My Natural Vegan Skincare Routine

First of all, let's just ignore this horrendous photo. Long story short, I forgot to take a photo while there was ACTUAL sunlight. So... unnatural lighting. We'll have to deal.

Moving on, today I'm sharing with you, my most recent skincare routine! My routine is always changing, but recently I've been settling in to a certain selection of products - which are all natural, vegan and cruelty-free of course!

AM:

Cleanse Blissoma Mild Rice Facial Cleanser

Tone Primavera Sage & Grapeseed Toner

Treat Herbfarmacy Pure Hydration Serum*

Moisturise Andalou Naturals Untinted BB Cream or Skin & Tonic Calm Balm

PM:

Remove Makeup DIY Cleansing Oil w/ Jojoba and Lavender

Cleanse Blissoma Mild Rice Facial Cleanser

Tone Andalou Naturals Brightening Clementine + C Toner

Treat Yours Truly Organics Fix Me Serum

Moisturise Pai Rosehip Oil or Skin & Tonic Calm Balm 

Okay, so failed photo-taking aside, these are the products that I have been using and loving lately! I'm choosing not to go in to many details today as I'm looking to do full reviews over the coming weeks. Those products that already have corresponding reviews, have been linked accordingly :-) Hope everyone is having a fantastic week, and join me tomorrow for a very special review... ooooooh!

Vegan Book Recs

Welcome to day one of Vegan Week. Today, we're talking book recommendations. Specifically, recommendations of books about veganism! Firstly, I'd just like to mention that although I've named this post 'Vegan Book Recs', I've actually only read two out of these four books. Take that as you will but nethertheless, these are definitely some handy books to consider if you're interested in veganism, and if I haven't read them already, I will fo' sure be reading them soon.

Thanking the Monkey - Karen Dawn

Starting with a book that I haven't yet read, we have Thanking the Monkey from Karen Dawn. From what I can tell, this is a very general overview of the issues of animal cruelty in all forms - not just eating animal products. Taken from Goodreads: 'In Thanking the Monkey, Karen Dawn covers pets, fur, fashion, food, animal testing, activism, and more. But as the title playfully suggests, this isn't like any previous animal rights book. Thanking the Monkey is light on lectures meant to make you feel guilty if you're not yet a leather-eschewing vegan. It lets you have fun as you learn why so many of your favourite actors and musicians won't eat or wear animals. ' I'm actually really excited to read this, and shall be reserving it at the library ASAP (as it's a little expensive to buy, eeek). I would definitely consider this 'animal rights lite' though, and I feel like it will miss out some very important arguments concerning veganism. However, this might be great if you're just getting interested in the lifestyle.

Defiant Daughters: 21 Women on Art, Activism, Animals and the Sexual Politics of Meat - Various

I have actually read this one! Defiant Daughters is an anthology full of some really intriguing essays concerning how many young women discover and connect veganism and feminism. Definitely not one for beginners, but if you have any interest in feminism and/or veganism, it's a really worthwhile read and will open your eyes to how the two movements are so intricately interwoven. I believe that it's actually a follow up anthology to The Sexual Politics of Meat by Carol J. Adams (which I haven't read), but I've found that you really don't need to have read the predecessor to get something out of this collection. I really do recommend this, but please note that this one does contain some sensitive content in relation to sexual violence and animal abuse. (Spoiler: You can actually download this for free via Goodreads!)

Easy Vegan: Simple Recipes for Healthy Eating - Vatcharin Bhumichitr

And on to the cookbooks! Starting with one that I do own myself, Easy Vegan contains lots and lots of delicious and healthy vegan meals, many with a unique Thai twist. The instructions are really clear and easy to follow, and the recipes are supplemented with some of the most gorgeous food photography that I have ever seen! However, I have found that some of the ingredients mentioned are a little hard to get hold of in the UK, leading me to believe that the recipes are ever-so US-inclined. Some of my favourite recipes include the root vegetable ragu and the butternut squash soup with pine nuts.

The Oh She Glows Cookbook - Angela Liddon

Okay, another one that I haven't read but if Angela's blog is anything to go by (which I most definitely have spent many hours browsing), this cook book can only be bloody amazing. It comes highly recommended from a lot of fellow vegans, and it's very high up on my to-buy list.

Welcome to Vegan Week!

Yay! So welcome to 'Vegan Week' on Katie Vibes. February marks two whole years since I made the overnight switch to veganism, and so I thought it fitting to fill my blog with lots of lovely vegan-based posts to celebrate my second vegaversary.

Expect a variety of content, ranging from beauty, recommended reading/watching, and of course, food. I'm hoping to end the week with a F.A.Q type thing, so if you have any questions relating to vegan beauty/lifestyle, please leave them below.

Hope you enjoy! x